Removing Transportation Barriers to Healthy Food

In March, we announced we’re doubling down on our commitment to build cities around people, not cars, by partnering with our community of drivers, riders, local activists and city leaders to achieve maximum positive impact through an initiative called Lyft City Works. We believe it’s our civic responsibility to address key problems our communities are facing through better access to transportation, with the goal of improving city life.

One of the key ways we're focused on achieving this vision is by improving access to healthy food through the Lyft Grocery Access Program. The program started with a successful pilot in DC last year, providing thousands of affordable rides to grocery stores for local families, and has since expanded to Atlanta. Realizing the positive impact the program can have in just one community, and how pervasive of an issue this is — affecting approximately 23.5 million people in the US — we’re launching the program in more than a dozen cities across the country, and soon rolling out to more markets throughout North America.

"The Lyft Grocery Access Program is an innovative partnership that aligns with our mission to support strong children, strong families, and strong communities,” said Tiffany Williams, Chief Programs Officer at Martha's Table. "By offering discounted flat-rate rides to three full-service grocery stores and to Martha’s Table Market, the program has helped to reduce the time, transportation, and financial barriers to healthy food access.”

Through this expansion, we look forward to partnering with local organizations and nonprofits to provide low-income families and seniors living in food deserts with deeply discounted flat fare rides to get to and from grocery stores. Affordable and reliable access to transportation can have a huge impact on this problem, and we want to help.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Lyft! This groundbreaking initiative will connect families in food deserts to healthy grocery options that they would otherwise not be able to access. Lyft and Health in the Hood are creating healthier communities one ride at a time!,” added Asha Walker, Executive Director of Health in the Hood.

Cities included in the national program launch listed below, with more coming later this year.